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[Tanelorn]

Hi all,

I accidentally devised a kind of trap I had never seen anywhere else before: lets call it the dodging trap. It uses a well documented "feature" of DF: the propensity of creatures to dodge and end up in a dangerous situation, either drowning or jumping off a cliff.

So the trap is simple: place weapon traps on a narrow path going over a (deep) empty space. The invaders will walk on the path to get into your fortress, and walk on the traps. They will try to dodge the  weapon traps' attacks, by jumping away and since the path is narrow, they will jump into the empty space most of the time.

The best part is that even if they don't die from the fall, they will re-path to the fortress through the traps, again, and again, and again, until they either die from falls or route.

For best results, make non-deadly traps, so that the deaths are caused by the fall, and not by the traps. That way, the corpses will build up at the bottom of the empty space, instead of jamming the traps.

Feedback and improvement suggestions are all welcome !

[ikkonoishi]

I haven't tried it but it sounds good in theory.
How about making a spiral pit with weapon traps on every square?

[sjaakwortel]

Im using this trap already, and it works great. I have a walk way with 10 wooden spiked ball traps. Have to make the pit deeper though, not all enemy's die on impact, I also could add some upright spikes on the bottom so i can kill the injured ones withouth sending my military there( very unhappy place)

[Bordellimies]

Sorry to break this to you, but it is an old concept, called "Corridor of misery" or something like that.
Basically make a long corridor filled with trainign axes and as the enemies dodge them, pit of spikes/magma/water/bloodthirsty creatures/abyss awaits them.

[Max White]

I was always a huge fan of having a pit full of bones and spear traps and hungry wild monsters.

Please note: Flying beasts are death.

[FrisianDude]

Oh if only it was possible to order the construction of giant granite boxing gloves.

[Encased in burning magma]

Er, I tough it was a common design.

My forts usually have a vertical shaft going from the surface to the magma forges. The entrance, in that case, is always a narrow trapped bridge over the shaft.

[Brandstone]

I like to call it goblin skydiving.

[Sutremaine]

Also a good way to force your dwarves into water to improve their swimming skill. Although for all I know that's how it started -- there's a pump-based magma trap design that started life as a super-efficient mist generator.

[FrisianDude]

Also a good way to force your dwarves into water to improve their swimming skill. Although for all I know that's how it started -- there's a pump-based magma trap design that started life as a super-efficient mist generator.

Wouldn't they just drown? Or is it a really low level of water?

[Gzalzi]

Remember to put deployed floor spikes at the bottom of your pit!

[CapnUrist]

I figured this trick out a couple forts ago, and have used it every fort since. However, my designs do not feature a pit; I came across it when a giantess broke its way into my fort, then set upon my legendary clothier. The giantess charged, the clothier dodged, and the giantess went straight into the decorative magma channels I had placed along all the main hallways, where she burned to a cinder. I immediately saw the value of this, and proceeded to create a long alternate path of single-wide constructed floor riddled with green glass serrated disc traps that was constructed over a three-wide channel of flowing magma.

On a current fort I used this on my entry bridge; two rows of constructed floor alternating with three rows of floor grates, over the volcano caldera. It's taking forever to hook up the grates, but in the meantime the weapon traps do a decent job.

I think my next design with this will use water flowing into a disposal grate (leading back to an aquifer, maybe), so that goblinite can be retrieved. Drown em, dump em, and sort out their stuff after.

[Ivan Issaccs]

I'm quite fond of this for the fact it hobbles the enemy and allows your military to mop them up afterwards, rather than have half the enemy die outright and the other half flee.

[ch00beh]

It's pretty great for rounding up all the siegers to burn/hack them in one place that's easy to clean. It's also a great way to throw all the useless copper and silver weaponry that goblins drop and that your dwarves can't use.

[Sutremaine]

Wouldn't they just drown? Or is it a really low level of water?

4/7 to 6/7. 7/7 is drowning depth, 3/7 or below is walking depth.